Disclaimer: Do I have to say it again? Really? ...fine. I still don't own this.

A/N: I've heard requests for more frequent updates, so I'll try to post a new chapter every couple of days. Thanks to my reviewers! You guys make my world go round! (along with jazz band... but that's beside the point) Happy reading!

P.S. And as a side note, I sometimes make really vague references to things nobody's ever heard of, so if someone gets one of them... brownie points! :D

Chapter Six

Caeli spoke to me briefly just before they left for their first planet: Kashyyyk.

"You sure you want to stay here?" she asked me.

"I don't really have a choice. I'd never be accepted by your crew, and I'd probably do more harm than good. ;You're all better off if I stay here. Still, you'll visit me, right?"

"Of course." She paused. "Take care of yourself, Sapphire. I don't want to come back and find you in five pieces, hmm?"

I laughed. "Understood. See you, Cael."

"Cael?"

"Sure, why not?"

She inclined her head. "I kinda like it."

"Good. Now go save the galaxy."

She laughed, clapped me on the shoulder, and left. I stayed there for a while, contemplating everything that had happened and everything that hopefully would happen, now that I wasn't there to screw things up.

There was a knock on the door of my room. Probably the Jedi Masters coming along to ask impertinent questions, I thought. But it wasn't. It was Belaya.

"You are Athena Sapphire, correct?" she asked.

"Well, yes…"

"Caeli Jayde has instructed me to keep an eye on you, and to help you to create a sword that can defeat a lightsaber."

"She what?"

"She instructed—"

"I heard you. But… why?"

"She says you have shown great potential, and she doesn't want that potential to go to waste killing kath hounds. She says you can do some good on this planet. She left a list…"

"Let me guess: deal with the Mandalorian raiders, solve the Sandral-Matale feud, find Elise's droid, all the while trying not to get killed by kath hounds."

She looked startled. "How did you know?"

I shrugged. "She told me some of the stuff the Council told her to do, and I figured she might have left it for me. Good thing I won't get bored."

"Come with me," said Belaya. "Our best option, perhaps, is to use a common vibroblade, but enhance it to the point where it can rival a lightsaber for power."

"How exactly will we do that?" I asked skeptically.

"I came late to the Force. Before I was trained by the Jedi, I worked with my father, who made swords. He was a master of his craft, and he taught me everything he knew. He made some truly exceptional blades. Using the things I learned from him, and with the help of the Force, our task should succeed."

"Should. Glad for the vote of confidence, Bel."

She rolled her eyes. "Come with me, Sapphire." She turned and left. Not seeing an alternative, I followed her.

I stood on the plains, holding a sword. It wasn't the sword it would be once Belaya was done with it, but it was still something. It was pure silver, and maybe it was my imagination, but it looked like it was glowing with a silver-blue light, sparkling dangerously. The hilt had a flower with four petals carved into it, which matched the three on the lower blade, and it felt… right when I touched it. It was a hand-and-a-half sword, and it seemed to fit perfectly in my hands. It was surprisingly light, too. I swung it several times experimentally, managed to not chop my own legs off, and felt much more comfortable.

I set of at a brisk walk to nowhere in particular. Belaya had sent me out here to test the sword, the best she had been able to find in the Jedi Enclave. Admittedly, it was a really good sword. And I thought I recognized it. I hadn't realized there was more than one: the Silver Lined Sword from Ajunta Pall's tomb. It fit the description fairly well, with a few deviations.

A kath hound came barreling around the corner, headed straight for me. I raised the sword. Here was the test. As I prepared to swing the sword, it was no longer a weapon. It was an extension of my own arm, almost literally. I was the sword, and the sword was me. I struck, and the hound fell with one stroke of the sword. As it fell, the sword glowed brightly, and I felt a warmth in the hilt. The hound, however, screamed in agony. While I had felt warmth, the hound had felt a searing burn.

I decided I liked this sword. I also decided I didn't want to go back to Belaya just yet. So I headed for the grove, hoping to meet some more kath hounds along the way, just to test the sword's effectiveness. I took the eastern path south, so I passed through a large group of kath hounds on my way through the Matale grounds. I attacked a group that seemed to be gathered around a corpse, killing them all while sustaining only a few small wounds. I turned my attention to the dead settler. His corpse had been mauled, and I turned away to keep from looking at it. It was not a pretty sight. Then my eyes lit on a datapad. Retrieving it, I discovered that it was Casus Sandral's diary. Oh, shit, here we go.

I stowed it in my backpack, figuring I'd take care of it later, and continued south to the grove. I killed a few more isolated kath hounds on the way to Juhani's sanctuary, sustaining no more injuries worth noticing. I passed through the grove, not seeing anything noteworthy, and moved into the Sandral grounds. I killed a couple of kath hounds and was in the process of surveying the landscape when something caught my eye. The crystal cave.

I entered, gripping the hilt of my sword tightly. I was well aware that the place was infested with kinrath. Why I entered, I have no idea. Call it destiny, call it the will of the Force, I don't know. All I know is, it was a lot more complicated than it was in the game. In the game it was a fairly straight path right to the goal: the crystals. Here, there were forks, a lot of them. I tried to stay on the same path, but found it to be impossible.

"Damn it!" I swore aloud. "I should have left a trail. At least I haven't met any kinrath."

I shouldn't have said anything. A tentacle-like arm shot out of the darkness, knocking me backwards several feet. Kinrath. Before I could move, it was upon me, legs seeming to number in the hundreds, all trying to attack me. Of course, there was only one, but it seemed like an entire herd of them, trying to get me. Finally I managed to raise my sword and stab it in one of its legs. It flinched backwards as my sword glowed with the same white light, and it keeled over backwards, twitching. I managed to finish it off with a good stab.

But I was still hopelessly lost, and now I was worried about bats. I thought I'd seen something flying around in the cave earlier, and I didn't want any more creatures attacking me. Especially bats. Bats are cute, but when they're attacking you, especially if it's in a swarm, they're damn scary. But I digress. The point is, I was trying to find my way through this cave guided only by the light of my sword, when a shadow swooped over my head. I ducked, and the creature turned around to make a second pass. Except this time, I saw some of its tail feathers shining in the darkness, along with the front edges of its wings. Feathers. It was a bird, not a bat. And it landed on my shoulder.

Lost, are we? The tone of voice was sardonic, except the voice was in my mind, and it was my own. I turned my head to the left, staring incredulously at the bird, black except for the silver feathers and the size of a hawk.

Yeah, I'm talking to you, said the voice. Big whoop. Don't question. Well, it amended, unless you want to ask for my help…

"Who are you?" I asked aloud. My voice echoed around the silent cave.

Good freaking job, muttered the bird in my head. Now every kinrath in the place knows where we are. I would leave you to die, but it would get on my conscience. No, no, no. Don't say a word. Think it, I'll hear you, and the kinrath won't.

Well, that's useful, I said.

Damn straight. Now who are you?

I could be asking you that.

But I asked first.

Fine. My name is Athena Sapphire, and I'm exploring to test the effectiveness of my sword.

Nice sword. Be careful with it. Once it's imbibed with the Force, it will be able to defeat a lightsaber. It will bond with its wielder and do whatever they may ask of it.

And you know this exactly how?

It's enough that I know. And I know a way to enhance its power. Follow me.

The bird took off and flew ahead. I could only follow it because of the light from its tail feathers.

I'm not an it, you di'kut!

Then what are you?

I am a she, thank you very much.

All right then. You got a name?

Not in your language. I'll be sticking around for a while, so I'll let you decide.

You mean I get to name you?

No, you get to suggest names and I'll choose. Don't get the impression you own me. I am my own person, but now I'm… bonded to you.

Okay, that's just weird. But whatever. Names. Well, I'm Athena, and her Roman counterpart is Minerva…

Oh, no you don't. Hell no. Not happening.

Okay, okay, it was just a suggestion. Venus?

That another Roman counterpart, whatever that means? Don't like those.

Are you just being difficult on purpose?

Maybe.

Damn it, bird! Ummm…. A song popped into my head. Valkyrie.

What does it mean?

It's the name of a Norse goddess. Or rather, the Valkyries are a group of Norse goddesses. Something to do with death and deciding who dies on a battlefield. I think.

Sounds badass. Right up my alley. We have an agreement.

All this while, I hadn't been noticing where we were going. I was just following the bird's tail, shining in front of me. But now I saw it. We were in the crystal cavern, and it shone around me, each crystal formation glowing with its own light.

Pick a crystal, said Valkyrie. You'll find that the cube at the end of your hilt will fit one of them, and it will greatly enhance the properties of that sword.

This sword will hold a crystal?

Maybe. I don't know. I'm sure that cube was meant to house something. Perhaps it's a krayt dragon pearl, perhaps it's a lightsaber crystal. You never know.

Inadvertently, my eyes were drawn to the center of the cavern, to the largest crystal formation. It glowed bright white, and as I touched it, it seemed to mold itself into a perfect sphere, falling directly into my hand. The crystal's light pulsed, shining pure white.

That crystal… Valkyrie whispered in awe, it is as bonded to you as I am. Take it, and keep it. It will serve you well.

I closed my fingers around the crystal, then stabbed my sword into the ground and placed it on the end of the cube on the hilt of my sword. The crystal seemed to be absorbed into the hilt, and the sword glowed brilliantly. I seized the hilt and felt a link, almost as though the sword were alive and waiting for my command. I thought the first thing that came to mind: Burn.

The blade of the sword glowed white-hot. Not fire, but close enough.

Ah, cried Valkyrie, umm, that's kinda hot. If you don't mind…

Sorry, I replied. Stop. I thought. The sword died down.

Well done, Sapphire. You've mastered the sword. Now you get to name it. And no, you're not naming it Excalibur, she added before I could suggest it. Think about it while we head back to the Enclave.

On it, I sighed inwardly as Valkyrie led me out of the cave.

A/N: There you have it. I really like birds, so I decided I wanted one. I like her, personally, but tell me what you think! I say this all the time, but review if you have a moment. It really makes me feel good about myself :) Love you all! (that's not creepy, I promise). Have a fantastic rest of your life between now and my next update! (not sure that makes sense, but I hope you know what I mean!)